Cultivator



UNITED STATES JoHN LANE, or

PATENT OFFICE.

HYDE PARK, ASSIGNOR TO THE PERU OITY PLOVV COMPANY, OF PERU CITY, ILLINOIS.

CULTIVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,502, dated April 10, 1883,

7 Application filed November 2, I882. (No model.)

'To all whom it may concern A represents the axle, having its central Be' it known that I, JOHN LANE, of Hyde portion arched upward, with sides a and with nois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Cultivators, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of cultivators in which the shovels are attached to beams jointed at theirforward ends to a wheeled draft-frame in such a manner that they may be moved horizontally to follow the rows of corn and moved vertically to throw them into and out of action, and particularly to an improved spring attachment designed to raise or assist the operatorin raising the beams above an operative position without interfering with their lateral motion when in action. The arrangementis designed so that when the beams are in an operative position theywill be subject to little or no lifting strain, and when the beams are being moved upward the spring will exert an increasing lifting strain as they go upward toward the position of suspension.

The invention consists in mounting on the frame of the cultivator, above the horizontal ends of the axle, aspring having a connection with an arm depending from the sleeve, and in certain combinations of parts, which will first be described, and afterward pointed out in the claims, as follows:

The attachment isapplicable to any and all cultivators in which the beams have a vertical and lateral motion, but is designed more particularly for use in connection with what is known in the art as walking straddle-row cultivator, in which an arched axle is provided at its ends withsupporting-wheels and with couplings, to which the plow-beams are attached.

Referring to the drawings, like letters refer ing-whe'els, applied to the horizontal ends of the axle; O, the draft-pole or tongue, and D one of the two plows. The plow-beam has its forward end provided with a coupling-head,

pivoted on the bolt 0, and the coupler d, clasp.

ing the sleeve E, mounted loosely around the end of the axle. The bolt 0 permits the plowbeam to swing laterally, while the rotating of the sleeve upon the axle permits it to swing vertically, in order to throw the shovels into and out of the ground. The above parts are of ordinary construction, and form no part of my invention.

The sleeve E is provided with an arm, e, de

pending from the sleeve, extending downward nearly perpendicular and nearly or about at right angles with the plow-beain,'as shown, and the outer end of the said arm may have a perforatiomp, to receive a connection with the sprlng.

To the side a of the axle I-attach a bracket, F, which has a perforatiomf, as shown, in which perforation is seated one end of the spring S, and the other end of the spring is connected to the end of the depending arm 6, as shown. The spring S, I preferably make of round bar-steel, bent in a Y somewhat spiral form, and increasing in diameter with each round of bend, and the outer end may extend to the end of the arm 6, as shown in Fig. 1; or, a link, 9, may be intermediate between the spring and arm, as shown in Fig. 2. The operation of the spring S is exerting a lifting strain upon the dependitig arm 6, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. Any other known construction of the spring operating with a lifting strain may be substituted without departing from my invention.

When the-parts are in an operative position, as shown in Fig. 1, the perforation p in the arm e, the ends I) of the axle, and the perforationfin the bracket F stand in a line or 9 Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illihorizontal ends b. 13 represents the supporthowever, the beam is elevated, which will move the sleeve E around on the axle, carrying the arm 0 so as to move the perforation p out of the line above described, the spring will then exert a lifting strain to revolve the sleeve and carry the plow-beam upwardly, and as the beams go upward the perforation p in the arm 0 increases in distance out of line, and thereby the spring has more leverage for rotating the sleeve and lifting the plows.

The spring may be of snflicient strength to effect the lifting of the plow and its suspension without any assistance on the part of the operator other than to start the plow in its upward going, moving the perforation p of the arm e out of the dead-lock line. It will be observed that as the beam descends the lifting effect of the spring upon the beam is diminished, the action ceasing or being reduced to such an extent as to be nominal by the time that the shovels enter the ground; and it will also be observed that, as the spring changes its force from that of rotating the sleeve lifting the plow to spending its force against the axle in a dead-lock, the spring operates, holding the plow in suspension, as it were, in a position for active operation without either lifting or hearing down on the plow.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a sleeve with a depending arm to which a spring may be connected. Such I do not claim; and I am aware that it is not new to so arrange the spring and the arm that they will be as in a dead-lock above and outside of the center of motion of the sleeve. Such I do not claim. In my invention the dead-lock occurs when the center of motion of the sleeve is between the two ends of the spring, as one end of the spring is attached to the axle above the sleeve, the other end connected to the depending arm below the sleeve, which in operation provides for the use of a longer spring and a better action of the parts than has heretofore been known with the spring working only above the sleeve.

Having thus setforth my invention, Iclaim-- 1. In a cultivator, the combination of the vertically-swinging beam, the sleeve provided with the depending arm, the spring having one of its ends connected to the outer end part of the said arm below the center of motion of the sleeve, the other end of the springattached to the axle above the sleeve, and the spring arranged to urge upward on the depending arm, whereby when the beam is in a horizontal position the center of motion of the sleeve will be as in a dead-lock between the two ends of the spring. and the lifting force of the spring spent against the, axle, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown.

2. In a cultivator, the arched axle, the beam connected to the axle by a coupling permitting both vertical and lateral movement of the beam, in combination with the sleeve rotary on the axle, thearm depending from the sleeve extending downwardly at about right angle with the beam, the spring S, the link g, and the bracket F, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown.

Dated at Hyde Park, Illinois, thislfitth day of October, 1882.

JOHN LANE.

Witnesses:

ERNEST J. LANE, GEORGE C. WILsoN. 

